Page 25 of Curvy Nanny for the Grumpy Single Dad

“Lucy,” he called after me.

I kept marching past him and out of the kitchen. “Enjoy your dinner, Lena!”

“I will! Thank you, Lucy, it was fun,” she called after me and I couldn’t help but smile. The last thing I heard before I closed my door was Lena. “Have a cookie Daddy, they’re so good.”

Chapter 16

Dante

Itook a big, skeptical bite of what Lena had called a Frankenstein cookie, and the minute the peanut butter hit my tongue, my eyes closed and a moan escaped. These cookies were the devil.

“You helped make these?”

Lena’s head nodded in an exaggerated up and down motion. “I helped a lot,” she said and told me all about measuring out butter and sugar. “I got to roll the cookies and smash ’em too Daddy.” She sent me a beaming smile and her eyes glittered with excitement. Clearly she had a fun time today.

Before I came home and ruined it all, apparently. “Great job, sweetheart.”

“Can we have another one?”

I laughed at her hopeful expression. “Yes. But after dinner.”

Her earlier excitement faded quickly and she nodded. “Okay Daddy. We should ask Lucy to eat dinner with us.”

“Lucy knows when dinner is, and if she wanted to join us, she would.”

Lena pouted. “Not after you yelled at her. Again.” My adorable little girl glared at me like I was the enemy. “Daddy,” she whined.

“Okay, okay. If that’s what you want, then I’ll go up and invite her to dinner.” Because apparently we issue formal invitations to employees now.

“I do. Thank you, Daddy.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes before I turned away and then turned back. “No more cookies until after dinner.” I pointed a finger at Lena’s smiling face.

“I promise.”

“Okay.” I inhaled deeply and released it slowly as I climbed the stairs towards the nanny suite. I didn’t want to do it, but I promised Lena so I raised my fist and knocked hard on the door. I leaned in close and listened, but there was no noise on the other side of the door so I knocked again.

Again there was no answer.

“Lucy,” I growled and knocked a third time, even harder than the first two times.

Nearly a full minute—because I stared at my watch—passed before the door opened and Lucy appeared. “Yes, Mr. Rush, what can I do for you?” She wore a completely innocent expression as if she hadn’t heard me knocking. The suite was nice and large, but it wasn’t that damn big.

“I wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner with me and with Lena.” The words were pushed out through clenched teeth, and though I knew it wouldn’t win me any awards, I tried for a smile.

Lucy’s eyes widened with alarm and she took a step back. “Was that a smile?”

“Yes.”

She tossed her head back and laughed. The sound was deep, lyrical and beautiful, and I wanted it to last forever. “It’s good to know you have a few flaws.”

I blinked at her words. “I have flaws.”

She laughed again. “It’s even better than you know that you have flaws.”

How in the hell did this turn back to me? “I’m well aware of my shortcomings, thank you. Will you or won’t you have dinner with us?”

“I mean, who could possibly turn down such a charming invite?” She shook her head, a smile still on her face. “It’s almost as if you don’t really want me to attend dinner.”

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